JK 9451 Swivel Chair by Jørgen Kastholm for Kill International, 1970s

Born in Roskilde, Denmark, Jørgen Kastholm (1931-2007) was a prolific architect and industrial designer from the Scandinavian modern era, who is best known for his classic midcentury designs in collaboration with business partner Preben Fabricius.

It is speculated that sometime in the early 1950s, Kastholm spent time studying design in the US, where he became inspired by design luminaries Charles Eames (1907-1978) and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969). In 1953, he apprenticed as a blacksmith before continuing his education at the School for Interior Design in Copenhagen under architect-designer Finn Juhl (1912-1989).

In 1961, Kastholm founded a design studio in eastern Denmark with partner Preben Fabricius (1931-1984), who he met during his studies. They were primarily concerned with pairing functional design with a minimalist aesthetic, and advocated for simplicity and timelessness. They began working for German manufacturer Alfred Kill of Kill International, whom they had met after they had exhibited their work at the Fredericia furniture fair in the early 1960s. Their lounge chairs and sofas were made almost exclusively from leather and steel, in contrast to many contemporary designers who preferred to work with wood.

Even though the partnership between Kastholm and Fabricius lasted a total of just seven years, the designs they created during the relatively short period became representative of the midcentury modern design movement. Important designs from the pair include the Scimitar Chair (1962); Bo-562 Sofa and Bo-562 Chair (1963); Scimitar Table (1964); the X Chair (1968)—which bears a striking resemblance to Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair (1947); the FK 710 Skater Chair (1968). Both the FK 6725 "Tulip" Chair (1965), which was the first winner of the Germany’s Gute Form prize in 1969 and the Grasshopper Chaise Lounge (1968) have become icons of mid-century design and the duo’s most instantly recognizable creations.

Kastholm also collaborated with the likes of Fritz Hansen, Arne Jacobsen, and Ole Hagen, as well as manufacturers Bo-Ex, Knoll and Ivan Schlechter. He has designed a number of pieces for airport lounges, which can be found in more than 120 different airports world-wide. His designs have been featured in various Hollywood movies, and are housed in the permanent collections of museums around the world including the Louvre in Paris and the Museums of Modern Art in New York and Barcelona.

Kastholm continued to teach furniture design and product development at the University of Wuppertal in Germany and stayed active in design until his death in 2007.

Very little biographical information is available for German furniture producer Alfred Kill—or his legendary firm Kill International—even though Kill’s collaborations with renowned designers like Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm resulted in a number of highly successful designs, many of which are now considered to be classics of midcentury modernism.

Sometime in the mid-20^th century, Alfred Kill established Kill International in Stuttgart-Fellbach, Germany. It is conjectured that Kill added “International” to the firm’s name in imitation of his extremely successful and popular competitor, Knoll International. And like other companies in the market, such as Walter Knoll and Herman Miller, Kill began to develop collaborations with innovative designers who would create high-end, modernist furniture lines. In the early 1960s, he discovered the work of Kastholm (1931-2007) and Fabricius (1931-1984) at the Fredericia furniture fair. Not keen on having their furniture mass-produced, the duo finally agreed to work with Kill after he promised them total control over production and hefty salaries. This partnership would eventually secure a place for Kastholm and Fabricius, as well as Kill International, in design history.

Kastholm and Fabricius favored a functionalist approach and a minimalist aesthetic, always aimed at simplicity and timelessness. Their lounge chairs and sofas were made almost exclusively in leather and steel—in contrast to many of their contemporaries, who preferred to work with wood. Before the duo parted ways in the late 1960s, they designed numerous pieces for Kill, including important designs like the Scimitar Chair (1962); Bo-562 Sofa and Bo-562 Chair (1963); Scimitar Table (1964); X Chair (1968), which bears a striking resemblance to Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair (1947); and FK 710 Skater Chair (1968). Both the FK 6725 "Tulip" Chair (1965)—which was the first winner of the Germany’s Gute Form prize in 1969—and the Grasshopper Chaise Lounge (1968) have become modernist icons.

In addition to Fabricius and Kastholm, German industrial designer Horst Brüning (b. 1934) also designed minimalist yet functional furniture for Kill. Brüning’s designs include the 6910 Sofa (1967), 6915 Daybed, and 128 Bar Cart (both 1968). In 2008, forty-one years after its inception, the 6910 Sofa was awarded the “Best of the Best” design prize at the IMM Cologne.

During its heyday, Kill International was one of Germany’s most important furniture manufacturers, influencing an entire future generation of architects and furniture designers. The circumstances of the company’s eventual closing are unknown, but the surviving work has become highly collectible.